In The News - unbelievable....

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Touring Mars

Touring Mars

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Always wanted to do a thread about current news stories, or something about current events that either leave you incredulous or otherwise amazed, so here goes...

In Edinburgh this week, the Homeless World Cup is being hosted... unfortunately, at the weekend, the Foreign Office decided to withhold visas for players from five seperate African nations, fearing that they would 'not return home' after the tournament (as they could not demonstrate that they would have sufficient funds to finance their stay in the UK)...

The fact that this is a charity event, and that teams and players are sponsored (i.e fed, watered and housed) for the duration that they will be taking part in the charity event, seems to have escaped the notice of the foriegn office... I found it particularly daft that the FO are concerned that they 'won't return home', given that these people are homeless... :ouch: What sort of message does this send out to the world, especially after all Tony Blair had to say about Africa and poverty at the G8 summit just two weeks ago...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4689449.stm
http://www.streetsoccer.org/
 
Harsh..... as........ hell...... :grumpy:
 
It wasn't a very good PR, was it? :lol: Customs can be like that, lot of times. They are hard*sses. Few years ago, Port of Portland/PDX Customs(airport) were sending bunch of either Asian or Japanese travellers back, denying entry by nitpicking on paper work. The guy in charge was rumored to be racist. It got so bad that some of the Japanese corporate people were advised to enter the country through San Francisco, trying to get to Portland. :lol: They ended up firing the guy in charge of PDX. :D
 
Why would be want to bring in more Homeless people to the UK?
 
Mr Young said the controversy "raises some serious questions" about the government's pledges to fight poverty IN Africa.

The Foreign Office said a number of players had failed to satisfy visa requirements and were unable to prove that they intended to leave the UK.
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Britain is trying to fight poverty in Africa, allowing defectors to come to the UK, where Brits have to foot the bill in welfare (or equivalent) isn't the way to do it.

Seconly, the players failed the satisfy the visa requirements, these are universal rules. The fact that the players are there to play a soccer game makes for bad press, but the rules are there to protect Brits from having to support people who come to visit then stay permanently.

Finally, if you don't think that athletes defect to wealthier countries take a look at hockey players who left the USSR, or ask Castro how many baseball players come back after a game in America.
 
dbartucci
Britain is trying to fight poverty in Africa, allowing defectors to come to the UK, where Brits have to foot the bill in welfare (or equivalent) isn't the way to do it.

Seconly, the players failed the satisfy the visa requirements, these are universal rules. The fact that the players are there to play a soccer game makes for bad press, but the rules are there to protect Brits from having to support people who come to visit then stay permanently.

Finally, if you don't think that athletes defect to wealthier countries take a look at hockey players who left the USSR, or ask Castro how many baseball players come back after a game in America.
Click to expand...

You've got some good points there... and obviously the Foreign Office work on that very argument... but from another point of view, how are these people and organisations meant to break their way out of the cycle of poverty if they don't even get a chance?

Ironically, perhaps this has raised the profile of the tournament, and hence raised the profile of the issue of homelessness overall - in which case, maybe it's a good thing...?
 
Touring Mars
You've got some good points there... and obviously the Foreign Office work on that very argument... but from another point of view, how are these people and organisations meant to break their way out of the cycle of poverty if they don't even get a chance?
Click to expand...

It's a good question, but the problem is very complex. Consider this though, the point of disallowing them is to prevent them from becoming Britain's homeless and poverty stricken. I know it sounds harsh, but you'd be hard-pressed to show me any developed country that admits people who would become a burden on society (refugees excepted). They all have a creening process to ensure that those who come will be able to work, be productive and contribute to the betterment of society.

So unless these guys can prove they intend to leave, or have jobs lined up if they want to stay, then I still have to say I agree with the decision.

Incidentally, Canada had a shortage of strippers and the government was expediting the process for people who were coming to strip, provided they demonstrated they would be strippers when they got here by including a nude photo.
 
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